Copyright: How does one go about copyrighting photos? How are they submitted & to whom? What year is used, the year they were taken or the year in which they are copywriten?

KTJohnson Loc: Northern Michigan

How does one go about copyrighting photos? How are they submitted & to whom? What year is used, the year they were taken or the year in which they are copywriten?

7awol Loc: Butler, Pa

I simply put my name, year taken and the little copyright symbol (or the word "copyright" somewhere on the image. If you use photoshop, the text tool can be used to put your name anywhere on the image, any font, any size, any color. If you hit "Option and G" while using the "text" tool on a Mac computer, you will generate that cute little copyright symbol.

If you do not want that info to appear on a print, you can simply scribble the above info on the back...and you are copyright protected.

Many digital cameras have the ability to add your copyright info to the EXTIF data for every image that you shoot. Owners manuel will tell you if yours has that ability and instruct you on set-up.

Simple as that, no forms to fill out, no stamps to lick.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

KTJohnson wrote:

How does one go about copyrighting photos? How are they submitted & to whom? What year is used, the year they were taken or the year in which they are copywriten?

2 things.

1) Copyright is INHERENT at the time of creation, and belongs to the maker, unless assigned.

2) You actually mean 'How do I REGISTER my copyright for an image?"

You can try starting with the US Copyright Office. They have a lot of information, soma actually written in readable language!
http://www.copyright.gov/

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Wall-E wrote:

2 things.

1) Copyright is INHERENT at the time of creation, and belongs to the maker, unless assigned.

2) You actually mean 'How do I REGISTER my copyright for an image?"

You can try starting with the US Copyright Office. They have a lot of information, soma actually written in readable language!
http://www.copyright.gov/

Hoping OP is in the USA. If elsewhere, laws may be very similar or very different...

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Morning Star wrote:

Hoping OP is in the USA. If elsewhere, laws may be very similar or very different...

True.
I jumped to the conclusion that the OP is in the US.
We don't seem to see similar questions from anywhere else.

Dislike that people won't finish filling out their profile and give SOME indication of where in the world they are.

Dr.db Loc: Central Point, OR

I think this is one of the most often-discussed topics on the site.
Here's a list of the topics from just the 'Links & Resources' section for a Search on "Copyright" (accuracy of information may vary!):
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/search.jsp?q=Copyright&u=&s=4

(btw, if you must, it's "copyrighted", not "copywritten" ;-) )

Avranches Loc: Bonita Springs, FL

Copyright is obtained at the time of creation--when you take the photo. When the work is published (printed or shown on Internet) you need not, but should for clarification, place a copyright notice on the work. That is "Copyright 2013, Name of owner." In order to protect the work, you need to register the claim to copyright in the United States Copyright Office. That is what allows you to sue someone for copyright infringement(copying of the photo).

hippi Loc: Sedalia MO

hi all i use iwatermark it was? a free program you can do a search one this or you can go here Download
iwatermark.en.softonic.com it is easy to use does more tha copyright watermark your pics then some cameras have built in copy right info my new FX can do this
i do belive that you need to send copies to United States Copyright Office. i do know i had to send a copy of songs writin by my friend and my self i could be wrong that was years ago any way check with United States Copyright Office.
the will show you the right way

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

7awol wrote:

I simply put my name, year taken and the little co... (show quote)

You aren't Copywrite protected until you submit the images and a fee to the US Copywrite office to register them.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

romanticf16 wrote:

You aren't Copywrite protected until you submit the images and a fee to the US Copywrite office to register them.

First it is NOT "copywrite" it is copyRIGHT" as in the "right to copy." You are not "writing" anything.

Second, you have that copyright protection the moment you take the image. Registering the image is important to be able to sue for punitive damages, a VERY expensive and seldom financially-sensible thing to do. But you still have the copyright whether or not you register the image. You just will have to settle for suing only for the money equal to what it would have cost the infringer had they purchased the image from you - no punitive award. (And THAT is where the money is.)

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

CaptainC wrote:

First it is NOT "copywrite" it is copyRIGHT" as in the "right to copy." You are not "writing" anything.

Second, you have that copyright protection the moment you take the image. Registering the image is important to be able to sue for punitive damages, a VERY expensive and seldom financially-sensible thing to do.

If someone else registered your image first and you didn't have an original neg to prove it was your image they could own the copyrite, yes?

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

romanticf16 wrote:

You aren't Copywrite protected until you submit the images and a fee to the US Copywrite office to register them.

*Copyright.
Copywrite is an improper derivation of 'copywriter, a writer of copy, especially for advertisements or publicity releases.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/copywriter

Wrong. You ARE protected, but only for actual damages.

IF you register with the Copyright Office (with the requisite fee) BEFORE the infringement, then statutory damages can be assessed.
There are SOME variations on that, but they pertain to 'publication' which has a very strict legal definition.
Posting on the Web is NOT 'publication'.

Disclaimer: I'm not an intellectual property rights lawyer, nor do I play one on the forum. This was information I received at a presentation BY an IPR lawyer. If you're really interested in doing registration of copyright, your best bet is to contact one.

EDIT: While I was writing this, CaptainC posted about the same thing. Sorry.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

romanticf16 wrote:

If someone else registered your image first and you didn't have an original neg to prove it was your image they could own the copyrite, yes?

If you could not prove it, I suppose so. Like anything else in a court, you do need to prove it.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

CaptainC wrote:

First it is NOT "copywrite" it is copyRI... (show quote)

Nail on the head! :thumbup:

Dr.db Loc: Central Point, OR

Wall-E wrote:

...
Posting on the Web is NOT 'publication'...

I would take issue with this statement, since this (and every) UHH page disproves it - note the Copyright statement at the bottom. These very words are now published and copyrighted!